Chelsea need to 'show respect' to John Terry by extending his contract - Luiz

Posted Tuesday, February 16, 2016 by ESPN

Ex-Chelsea defender David Luiz has accused the Blues of disrespecting John Terry by not offering the veteran a new contract.

The former England captain, who will miss Chelsea's Champions League match against Luiz's Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday with a hamstring injury, announced in January that he was expecting to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Chelsea subsequently insisted that "channels of dialogue" were still open with Terry over his future, but Luiz says that his former teammate has done more than enough to warrant an extension to his contract.

"John is probably Chelsea's greatest ever player, the club need to show him some more respect," Luiz said, according to the Mirror.

"He has been clear that he wants to stay at the club, and they are making him wait for an answer.

"That is not how you treat a player who has given you so much and been a big part of so much success. The fans love John -- if this is not handled well, they are not going to be happy.

"I am confused why John hasn't been offered a new contract. He is still the best central defender at the club and one of the best in England, there should be no question about him being offered another a year.

"I really don't know what to say, the whole situation has confused me. I think it's obvious to everybody he deserves an extension."

David Luiz reckons John Terry is still one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

Former Chelsea centre-back Frank Leboeuf has also encouraged the Blues to extend Terry's 18-year association with the club, even if it's not in a playing capacity.

"Considering what he did for the club and what he can bring maybe after his career, maybe it would be clever to reconsider the position of John Terry," Leboeuf told ESPN FC.

"I think he can help the young players, but also for the first team to get better.

"His experience is absolutely crucial and he can still bring something good for the team. After his career I'm sure he has a future at the club and can help the club even better than it is right now."